Rehabilitation exercise facility

ABSTRACT

A rehabilitation exercise facility includes a support, a carrier for supporting a user, an actuator attached to the support and coupled to the carrier with a coupling device, for moving the carrier relative to the support, a control device, and a detecting device is connected to the control device for detecting the movement of the carrier and the user. An exercising machine is supported in front of the support for being operated by the user. The exercising machine includes a displayer for showing the detected or analyzed result from the control device. The support includes a base, two columns extended from the base, a frame attached to the columns for supporting a cantilever beam.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rehabilitation exercise facility, and more particularly to a rehabilitation exercise facility including a sensing or detecting device for sensing or detecting the gait of the user and for analyzing the cadence of the user and for showing or displaying the testing or analyzing result and for allowing the user to correct his motion or action.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Various kinds of typical rehabilitation exercise facilities have been developed and provided for conducting or operating various kinds of rehabilitation exercises or the like, and comprise an exercising machine for being actuated or operated by the user and for training or rehabilitating various portions of the user.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,886 to Seol discloses one of the typical biking or cycling exercises, U.S. Pat. No. 7,462,139 to Stafiej et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,177,688 to Bumfield et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,409,060 to Hsu, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,545,372 to Wang disclose several of the typical exercises for being actuated or operated by the user.

However, most of the patients may not stand and may not sit on the typical exercises by themselves, and it will be difficult for the patients to actuate or operate the typical exercises. U.S. Pat. No. 8,915,871 to Einav discloses another typical rehabilitation exercise device comprise an exercising machine for being actuated or operated by the user and for training or rehabilitating various portions of the user.

However, similarly, most of the patients may not sit on the typical exercises by themselves, and it will be difficult for the patients to actuate or operate the typical exercises.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional rehabilitation exercise facilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a rehabilitation exercise facility including a sensing or detecting device for sensing or detecting the gait of the user and for analyzing the cadence of the user and for showing or displaying the testing or analyzing result and for allowing the user to correct his motion or action.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a rehabilitation exercise facility comprising a support, a carrier for supporting a user therein, an actuator attached to the support and coupled to the carrier with a coupling device, for moving the carrier relative to the support, a control device, and a detecting device connected to the control device for detecting the carrier.

An exercising machine may further be provided and supported in front of the support and provided for being operated by the user. The exercising machine includes a displayer for displaying purposes.

The support includes a base, two columns extended from the base, a frame attached to the columns and having a platform provided on top, a cantilever beam supported on the platform and extended forwardly from the platform of the frame.

The coupling device includes two pulleys disposed on the platform of the frame, and two rollers disposed on the cantilever beam, and two cables engaged with the pulleys and the rollers and coupled between the actuator and the carrier for allowing the carrier to be moved by the actuator with the coupling device. The cables are preferably parallel to each other.

The base or the support includes two bars, the columns are extended upwardly from the bars of the base, and the frame is mounted between the columns and extended upwardly from the columns. The support includes a seat attached to the frame with a bracket. The detecting device is preferably disposed on the platform of the frame. The detecting device preferably includes a weight detector and a displacement detector.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rehabilitation exercise facility in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the rehabilitation exercise facility, in which the exercise device has been removed for showing or illustrating the carrying device for the rehabilitation exercise facility;

FIG. 3 is a further perspective view illustrating the other arrangement of the rehabilitation exercise facility;

FIG. 4 is a still further perspective view illustrating the further arrangement of the rehabilitation exercise facility;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the actuation or operation of the rehabilitation exercise facility; and

FIG. 6 is a plan schematic view illustrating the displaying device of the rehabilitation exercise facility.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rehabilitation exercise facility in accordance with the present invention comprises a base support 1 including a base 10 having two bars 11 which are preferably parallel to each other for forming or defining a solid and stable supporting base for the base support 1, and including two columns 12 extended upwardly from the bars 11 of the base 10, and one or more (such as two) rods or a frame 13 (FIG. 2) attached or mounted or secured between the columns 12 and extended upwardly from the columns 12, the frame 13 includes a planar platform 14 formed or provided on top thereof for supporting a cantilever beam 15 which is extended forwardly from the platform 14 of the frame 13, and a stay 16 may further be provided and attached or mounted or secured between the frame 13 and the cantilever beam 15 for reinforcing or for supporting the cantilever beam 15.

A carrier 20 is provided for supporting a user 8 therein, and to be supported by the cantilever beam 15. An actuator 30 (FIG. 2), such as a motorized actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator 30 or the like is disposed or attached or mounted or secured to the frame 13, at such as the lower or bottom portion of the frame 13 of the base 10 of the support 1, and includes a gear rack or piston rod or follower 31 or the like slidably received or engaged therein and extendible out of the actuator 30 for coupling to the carrier 20 and for moving the carrier 20 and the user 8 up and down relative to the base support 1 with a connecting or coupling device 4. One or more (such as two) stays or rods 19 may further be provided and attached or mounted or secured between the columns 12 and the bars 11 of the base 10 for further reinforcing the columns 12 and the frame 13 and the cantilever beam 15, for allowing the carrier 20 and the user 8 to be solidly and stably supported on the cantilever beam 15.

For example, the coupling device 4 includes two rollers or wheels or pulleys 40, 41 pivotally or rotatably disposed or provided on the platform 14 of the frame 13, and two pulleys or wheels or rollers 42, 43 pivotally or rotatably disposed or provided on the front portion 17 of the cantilever beam 15. The coupling device 4 further includes two wires or cables 44, 45 engaged onto or with the pulleys 40, 41 and the rollers 42, 43 and preferably parallel to each other and connected or coupled between the piston rod or follower 31 of the actuator 30 and the carrier 20 for allowing the carrier 20 and the user 8 to be moved up and down with the coupling device 4, relative to the columns 12 and the frame 13 and the cantilever beam 15 of the base support 1 to the required or predetermined height or position where the user 8 may easily and comfortably conduct various kinds of rehabilitation exercise operations.

In operation, the carrier 20 and the user 8 to be moved up and down relative to the columns 12 and the frame 13 and the cantilever beam 15 of the base support 1 to the required or predetermined height or position by or with the coupling device 4. The base support 1 may further include a chair or seat 21 slidably attached or mounted or secured or coupled two the frame 13 with one or more (such as two) blocks or brackets 22 for allowing the seat 21 to be moved or adjusted up and down relative to the columns 12 and the frame 13 and the cantilever beam 15 of the base support 1 to the required or predetermined height or position, such that the user 8 may be supported at the required or predetermined height or position for easily and comfortably conducting various kinds of rehabilitation exercise operations.

The rehabilitation exercise facility in accordance with the present invention further comprises an exercising machine 5, such as a stepping exerciser 50 (FIG. 1), a treadmill 51 (FIG. 3), an elliptical striding exerciser 52 (FIG. 4) or the like to be disposed or supported in front of the base support 1 and provided for being actuated or operated by the user 8, and the exerciser 50-52 of the exercising machine 5 each may include a screen or displayer 53 formed or provided thereon (FIGS. 1, 3-4) for showing or displaying the testing or analyzing result and/or various information (FIG. 6). The exercising machine 5 may further include a control panel or processing unit or control device 54 formed or provided on the exerciser 50-52 or on the frame 13 for controlling or operating the exerciser 50-52 of the exercising machine 5. The actuation or operation of the exerciser 50-52 of the exercising machine 5 with the control device 54 is not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 1, the actuator 30 may pull or move the carrier 20 and the user 8 up and down relative to the columns 12 and the frame 13 and the cantilever beam 15 of the base support 1 and/or the seat 21 to the required or predetermined height or position by or with the coupling device 4, for allowing the user 8 to be supported at the required or predetermined height or position and to easily and comfortably actuate or operate the exercising machine 5, such as the stepping exerciser 50. Similarly, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the user 8 may also be supported at the required or predetermined height or position and to easily and comfortably actuate or operate the exercising machine 5, such as the treadmill 51 (FIG. 3), the elliptical striding exerciser 52 (FIG. 4) or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rehabilitation exercise facility in accordance with the present invention further comprises a sensing or detecting device 60 disposed or attached or mounted or secured on the platform 14 of the frame 13, and/or on the cantilever beam 15. and/or on the coupling device 4, and/or on the exercising machine 5, and/or on the carrier 20, and connected or coupled to the control device 54, for sensing or detecting the gait and/or the cadence and/or the center of mass and/or the weight and/or the displacement of the carrier 20 or of the user 8. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the detecting device 60 may include a weight detector 61 for sensing or detecting the center of mass and/or the weight of the user 8, and a displacement detector 62 for sensing or detecting the gait and/or the cadence and/or the displacement of the user 8, and a converter 63 connected or coupled to the weight detector 61 and the displacement detector 62 for receiving and processing the detected signal or data or information from the weight detector 61 and the displacement detector 62.

As also shown in FIG. 5, the converter 63 of the detecting device 60 may convert the detected signal or data or information into a digital output 64 as shown in the process 64, and the digital output 64 will then be sent or transmitted to the control device 54 which will receive and collect and process and analyze the data or information or digital output 64 in the process 65, in order to obtain various outputs or results in the process 66, and the obtained outputs or results will then be shown or displayed in the displayer 53. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the displayer 53 may show or display the moving speed/distance of the center of mass of the user 8 in the area 70, and may show or display the weight difference (KG/LB) of the user 8 in the area 71, and may show or display the gait of the user 8 in the area 72, and may show or display the motion and/or the balance of the left and the right legs of the user 8 in the area 73, and may show or display the weight percentage of the single leg of the user 8 in the area 74.

The user 8 may then view and realize the various data or information of the movement of the user 8 while the user 8 while the user 8 actuates or operates the exerciser 50-52 of the exercising machine 5, and may then change or adjust the actuation or operation or movement of the user 8, and/or the actuator 30 may be actuated or operated by the control device 54 according to the results processed and analyzed by the control device 54, in order to pull or move the carrier 20 and the user 8 up and down relative to the columns 12 and the frame 13 and the cantilever beam 15 of the base support 1 and/or the seat 21 to the required or predetermined height or position by or with the coupling device 4, such that the height or the position or the gait of the user 8 may be adjusted.

Accordingly, the rehabilitation exercise facility in accordance with the present invention includes a sensing or detecting device for sensing or detecting the gait of the user and for analyzing the cadence of the user and for showing or displaying the testing or analyzing result and for allowing the user to correct his motion or action.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A rehabilitation exercise facility comprising: a support, a carrier for supporting a user therein, an actuator attached to said support and coupled to said carrier with a coupling device, for moving said carrier relative to said support, a control device, and a detecting device connected to said control device for detecting said carrier.
 2. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an exercising machine supported in front of said support and provided for being operated by the user.
 3. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 2, wherein said exercising machine includes a displayer for displaying purposes.
 4. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support includes a base, two columns extended from said base, a frame attached to said columns and having a platform provided on top, a cantilever beam supported on said platform and extended forwardly from said platform of said frame.
 5. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 4, wherein said coupling device includes two pulleys disposed on said platform of said frame, and two rollers disposed on said cantilever beam, and two cables engaged with said pulleys and said rollers and coupled between said actuator and said carrier for allowing said carrier to be moved by said actuator with said coupling device.
 6. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 5, wherein said cables are parallel to each other.
 7. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 4, wherein said base or said support includes two bars, said columns are extended upwardly from said bars of said base, and said frame is mounted between said columns and extended upwardly from said columns.
 8. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 4, wherein said support includes a seat attached to said frame with a bracket.
 9. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 4, wherein said detecting device is disposed on said platform of said frame.
 10. The rehabilitation exercise facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detecting device includes a weight detector and a displacement detector. 